Gear for aerial bombardments



Jan. 17,4 1928. 1,656,850 R. ALKAN ET AL GEAR FOR AERIAL BOMBARDMENTS Filed March 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

Jan.17, 1928.

R. ALKAN ET AL GEAR FOR AERIAL BOMBARDMENTS Filed March s. 1926 2 sheets-snee*- 2 [l1-Venturi. 6e) fea/L ma,

Patented Jan. 1 7, 1928,

,r1-Nits sT RBERT'ALKAN AND GEORGES LESOURD, 0F PARS, FRANCE.

GEAR FOR AERIAL BOMBARDMENTS.

Application-filed March 5, 1926, Serial No. 92,492, and in France March 9, 1925.

The present invention has for its object a mechanical gear chiefly applicable to airplanes and air-ships adapted to support and to automatically ease o, by means of a dis- 5 tant drive, any bombarding, signalling or other object. f l

This whole gear is so devised asto allow: 1.--To utilize an individual releasing de vice 'presenting the following features:

a) lt allows the automatic attachment of the bomb or other part; y f Y (b) It possesses a complete security ot fastening by means of va mechanical lock; It affords the possibility of causing the release through a safety drive which is independent from themain drive.

(al) It is provided with a strain limiting device allowing the sameto receive an impulse of an amplitude which is substantially higher than the one which is required releasing a projectile and` for allowing the main drive to operate when it is itself locked.

2.-'10 obtain the successive operation of the individual releasing devices, the one after the other, or volley' after volley, by means ot' parts having aV large angular or rectilinear displacement, in such a manner that the regular operation of the whole does not require a. pointing of great accuracy and is not influenced by the mechanical actions Vof construction or of wear of the several devices.v

For this purpose, the whole of the mechanism comprises: a driving member which allows to determine at a distance the operation of the release devices; connecting members which connect this driving member with the releasing devices; individual releasing" members corresponding to a certain number of articles to be dropped and so connected as to form a complete apparatus; the parts securing the fastening to the airship and the safety driving parts, as well as the parts controlling the emergency releasing device. In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective general view. Figs. la, 1b, 1c show the diiierent positions of the operation of a releasing cam. Figs. 2v and 3 show respectively, in part sectional front view andin cross section, the driving members.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show in longitudinal section in two diierent positions and in front view the connecting parts.

Fig; 7 shows, on a larger scale, the tastening members.

v The gear forming the object of the invention comprises:

I The rotary operating device (Figs. l, 2 and 3) comprises a crank handle l driven by hand, on the axle 2 of which a pinion 3 of a Galls chain t is keyed Which is thus moved by the rotation of the crank handle andactuates at a distancethe projectile-releasing" devices, one or several ot' these devices being actuated at every complete revolution `of the crank handle. A. dial 5, rigid with a Maltese cross 6 operated from the axle of the crank handle and rotating at each rotation of the crank handle through the space of one tooth, indicates the number of volleys fired or the number of volleys remaining to be fired in accordance with the kind oi' graduation adopted.

rlhe starting point of the crank is indicated by a safety lock which prevents any involuntary release.

The crank l is articulated at 11 by a lug formed at the rear of its plan to the part 9 fast upon the axis 2. A spring` 8 tends to maintain the crank against the part 9, the claw 7 `carried by this crank entering then into a` notch or recess 'formed upon the fixed wall of the gear case. In order to operate the crank, it is then necessary to pullthe saine forwardly against the action of the spring 8 so as to disengage its claw 7.

Il Connecting parts (Figs. l, 4, 5, 6|) driven by` the chain 4 with the purpose or allowing, without itbeing necessary to dismount the driving members and without any disadjustment, to take apart the bombthrower, this chain acting upon an intermediate Yfeeding device provided with an uncoupling device. This device comprises a base 20 carrying` a body 2l supporting a spherical ball bearing 22 in Which is adapted an axle 23 carrying the pinion 24: actuated by the chain ll. The ball bea-ring 22 allows the said axle to move within the limits of a cone determined by the size of thev body 2l and to transmit the rotary 1notion whatever the position of the said axlev may be. The claw sphere 25 which terminates` this axle can therefore find the part of the bomb-thrower upon which it is adapt'- gi v 1,656,850 l,

ed to act in a position which is substantially vdifferent from the theoretical position as deinedby theaxisof construction of the body. Accordingly and in virtue of the fact same time as the axle 23 slides into the inner ring ofr thebearing.V Thecollar 27 of this aXle then places itself in the bearing 28 of the body and one presses the button 30 which fixes itself to the collar 27 which ismaintained by the action oitl the spring 32. rThe laxle 23 is thusr maintained between the bearing'22 and the lbearing 28 thereby allowing to cause, for trying purposes, the con'nnanding i post and the-chain in the released or disenJ gaged position of the driving member.4

In order to put-1n gear, it is `only vnecessary to pull the button 26 the button 30 will be disengaged Y`under the influence of the springl and the axle 23, pushed` bythe spring 32, assumes its coupling position.

III.-Releasing parts the whole ot' which 'constitutes a Abomb-thrower which contains a Vcertain number vof bombs or the like to be easedv oli1 and .which supports all the re-V lease devices with their operating mechanism devices in whichthestress required. for de- `the emergencyvrelease position.

termining the release is reduced by.. a system,A of suitable-levers, this release being determinedby a small angular displacement ot .the yoke 40. The-movement of this lever is produced by a cam-44 which can steady thev samein its position 44l '(Fig; 1a)r whichis the one corresponding tothe locking of the.' absolute Vsafety device.` In Vthe position 441?Y (F ig. 1b) .the yoke 40 can moveunder the y f already known parts must be' addedV a lever 41 whichreceivesthe impulse given by the general drive'.4 y

The movement received by the lever 41 loosely mounted upon the axle- 42 istransvmitted, by the strain limitinggspring 45 adjusted withal suitable initial tension, to

the yoke 40 until the Vlatter `has reached. its

abutment; at thismoment, the spring yields until the lever 41 has reached its outrnost position. vIt is therefore possible to impartl to said lever41 a movement otsuch an amplitudegthat the generaldrive will not require Therelease devices can be constituted byv apparatuses of a known system, for example To these driving-post has beenset inmotion.

after release constitutes a guarantee agains'. 'r.v^ r

the accuracy itvwould necessitate in ordervt-o` strictly insure the small angular displaceiy ments ofthe releasing yoke 4 0. On the other hand, it the cam 44'is in thef locking position (44a) and it the 'general drive is made to operate,the Alever 41 is'lifted but as its movement cannotbe transmitted to the yoke 440 which islocked. a yieldingof the spring 45 will onlybe'produced.

rl-he drive of the releasing-devicesis vCon-f` stituted as follows: The claw vsphere 25 .of the vdriving member acts, inits engaging positionv,- upon the [corresponding yfemale part 60 oi' the bornbr throwerwhich is at the start of a mechanical; nl transmission of known system, which,

Vthrough the means of gearings andof small I transmission shafts, carries overthe mover-'- ment upon Va plateY where it operates,.-tl ir,ough 1 the pini'ons 63,1 thechain 62- carrying onecr 825 several cams 61 which successively act u oni. 1 the levers 41 yof thereleasingfdevices an to veifect the release of the projectiles-5 f The parts Vforming this transmission 'are coupled by means of universali'joints fc' so 9701i",k

thatits operation will not be affected by theV allowances in the manufacture ,or bythe distortionsdue to the supportedvloadsand to ii the wearof the apparatus. v. j 'v .The elements 'carrying each a projectile are pivotally mounted each on a supporti" rigid with the frame- AThe weightof avproi.- jectil'el tends to lmake ythe element! d oscillate. in the direction of the arrow-line l but this oscillatingjmovement is preventedL by a. cam 101 on which` the Atree- 'end of thel i5 long arm of elementd rests. `As' soon asthe .f aXle 42 ofA thisy cam. 101 lis rotated the cle-i ment 'Z- is released and oscillates under the. L actionof the weightof the projectile wliichf 1 c5lf then slips ott'r the hook-shaped'end of element V d and isdropped. The strain .limiting device; consists of a. spiral spring 45.` attached atA 1i the one end to thelever 41 and at'thev other. end to the'aXle 42-of cam 101. i [11ov j yThe fpinions ofthe commandingpost, Vof.

the connecting member and of the transmis-ff: lsion are proportioned'insuch .a manner thatV`A- j for a revolution of the commandingpost, the* Y cam chain62will move according toadisl tance 'equal to thed-istance' lbetween two suc-JKY cessive releasing devices. f V

It results therefrom that; (a) ItV the-initial position of the cam'61` 'l is close to lthe .lever 41, one willreduce the constantvtime which separates the shell drops if y ping moment from the moment `when, thV

(7)) The'errce'ss of movement of the cam f the errorscf adjustment andconstruction. A; (c) The use yofthe essentially. deformable chain allows the'. same to tollowthe deforma? tions ot the supporting plate w ithout1 'any-k l functional in'convenicnce;

'-; mounted and allow to rapidly fix to the aircomposition `and distribution.

IV.-Fastening members constituted by a system of spindles ,which can' be easily displane the frame constituted as a bo1nbthrower. According to the invention (Figs. land 7) the apparatus is supported by a frame 9.7 which receives the supports 81-81a ofV the fastening spindles 80. Everyone of the said spindles passes very loosely through smooth support 8l and the bomb-thrower Y 84 and enters into another support 81"t which contains ay screw 82 stopped with play by a pin 83 or any other means allowing the same to move freely to a certain extent in all directions. The spindle is tapped at this end so as to be able to engage itself upon the screw. When screwing the spindle. one succeeds in locking the frame 97 to the frame of the bomb-thrower in such a manner that, when the locking is obtained, the rigidity of the frame is used for bracing the frame containing the same. The spindle 80 and the screw have their end cut in the shape of an olive so as to facilitate the introduction of the spindle into the supports and into the bomb-thrower and the introduction of the screw into the spindle.

V.-A safety drive allowing to simultaneously actuate through a system of connecting shafts 90. of a crank pin 91 and of the connecting rod or link 92, all the locking and safety cams of the releasing devices, the link being operated by hand by means of the two independent slide drives 93 which enable, either to place all the mechanisms together in the position of safety, or to bring them all to the loading or firing position by means of the main drive, or to cause them to be released at the same time in case of stopping 'of the main drive or for any other reason.

For this purpose the lever 94 will only allow to obtain the position fof loading and of firing, while the lever 95 only will allow the total release of the emergency device, the

` Y complete sepaiation of these two functions Y avoiding the errors of operation.

The above indicated arrangements are given by way of example only. Other forms of construction can be carried out without altering in any way the principle of the invention, as every one of the specified parts can be considered in its applications to different apparatuses.

I claim l. An apparatus for releasing projectiles from aircraft for signalling or for other purposes comprising in combination a rotary operating device adapted to cause the release of one or more projectiles at each rotation thereof, an indicating device on said operating device, means for locking said operating device at the end of each rotation thereof; a demountable flexible coupling between the operating device and the mechanism for releasing the projectiles; a series of projectile supportingand releasing devices each adapted tol beioperated to release vthe proliectile through a resilient driving connection which enables the operating device to be actua-ted without effect when the releasing devices are locked against operation; an' intermediate mechanism between the operat-l ing device and the releasing devices comprising one or more cams mounted on one or more chains moved by the operating device and so arranged that the displacement of the cha-in or chains between successive projectile releasing positions is suficient to accommodate any displacements due to wear, distortion, or imperfect proportioning and tting of the parts; means for securing the projectile supporting and releasing mechanism to a supporting frame by means of bolts in such a manner that the frame or casing of the supporting and releasing mechanism serves to stay the supporting frame, and an auxiliary operating device adapted to act simultaneously on all of the projectile releasing devices.

2. An apparatus as specified in claim l, comprising in combination with the rotary operating device consisting of a crank handle, an intermediate piece to which said crank handle is hingedly connected, a spring retaining said intermediate piece, a pinion, a driving chain guided on said pinion, an axle of said pinion operated by said intermediate piece, a Maltese cross operated from said crank handle, a dial on said Maltese cross for indicating the number of volleys fired orremaining to be fired, and a locking stud on said crank handle.

3. In an apparatus as specified in claim 1, the demountable flexible coupling consisting of a catching device, a spherical bearing in said catching device, an axle of transmission controlled by said spherical bearing so that it can displace itself outside its theoretical position said axle being free to slide in said spherical bearing in order to be pulled back for disengaging from the element which it is designed to draw along, and a spring-con trolled knob to hold said element in the disengaging position.

4. In an yapparatus as specified in claim l the projectile releasing device comprising a releasing axle, a lever acting upon said releasing axle, a spring between said lever and said axle and constituting a resilient driving connection, a cam for controlling said lever, and a chain upon which said cam is fixed and which is driven from the rotary operating device.

5. In an apparatus as specified in claim 1,

ica

the means 7for Securing the projectile sup# politi/ng and releasingmehan1sm,eonjpr1`smgm combination with the, machine frame,

a 'casing for thexsuppoiti-ngancl: 'releasing de Vices ,at Su ort-i110' frame su -Jorts fixed upon saidy supporting frame, andv a. vnumberof Ibolts freely engaging with s aid casing andV with said 'support to h-olcl said casing in len'- ,ga-gementv with sii-icl supporting. frame inV such av mannerastto stay the latter.

6. In an apparatus as Specified 11101211111 l, 1`the auxiliary operating dev-ice Comp-Using tures.: Y. f Y, n, ROBERT ALKAN. v GEORGES vLESOUHD; f 

